Cobble Hill - Shawnigan Lake Community Profile: shared past, common future South Cowichan OCP Background Study December 2007 Cobble Hill – Shawnigan Lake Community Profile: Shared past, Common future TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Introduction 4 2 Location and Planning Area 6 3 Issues and Options: summary and overview 7 4 History and Heritage 18 5 Demographic Profile and Trends 21 6 Environment, Resources and Servicing 26 6.1 Environmentally Sensitive Areas 26 6.2 Riparian Areas 30 6.3 Marine Areas 33 6.4 Water Resources and Management 35 6.5 Agricultural Resources 39 6.6 Forest Land Resources 42 6.7 Fire Protection and Wildfire Interface 45 6.8 Aggregate Resources 48 6.9 Planning and Services 51 6.10 Natural Hazards 55 7 Land Use and Development 59 7.1 Residential Development 59 7.2 Affordable Housing 64 7.3 Village Centres (Shawnigan Village - Cobble Hill Village) 71 7.4 Institutional Uses 74 7.5 Transportation 76 7.6 Parks and Trails 80 7.7 Economy and Economic Development 83 8 Development Permit Areas and Current Zoning 87 9 To Learn More 92 2 Cobble Hill – Shawnigan Lake Community Profile: Shared past, Common future TABLE OF FIGURES Figure 1 Sensitive Ecosystems Map See Map Appendix Figure 2 Water Resources Map See Map Appendix Figure 3 Marine Coastline Map See Map Appendix Figure 4 Aquifers See Map Appendix Figure 5 ALR Land Map See Map Appendix Figure 6 Aggregate Resources Map See Map Appendix Figure 7 Water Service Areas Map 51 Figure 8 Sewer Service Areas Map 52 Figure 9 Steep Slopes Map See Map Appendix 3 1. Introduction The Electoral Areas of Shawnigan Lake (B) and Cobble Hill (C) options were developed by the consultant team and include are working together with the Cowichan Valley Regional District relevant and replicable innovative planning policies and (CVRD) to create a joint Official Community Plan (OCP). The approaches used in other BC communities. These ‘Innovative South Cowichan OCP project will result in a single new OCP to Practices’ are highlighted in each section. guide development in each of the Electoral Areas for at least the next 10 years. The planning process was launched in early June 2007 and will continue through to early 2009. To be developed with significant community involvement over the next year-and-a-half, the new OCP will include policies on a number of community issues, including land use, transportation, environmentally sensitive areas, parks, housing and economic development. The OCP will include a series of community- developed land use principles and development objectives for the planning area. It will also include plans for smaller sub-areas to preserve and enhance the distinct features and unique character of each community. The Community Profile is a background report for the South Cowichan OCP. It provides an overview of current conditions in the planning area and establishes baseline data to assist with the review of existing OCP policies that may be carried over into the new South Cowichan OCP and development of new OCP policies. The Community Profile also identifies and summarizes substantive planning issues that were identified by the consultant team while researching it. These issues are highlighted, as they may require additional attention during the planning process and/or were not identified in either Electoral Area’s earlier OCPs. For each of the identified substantive planning issues, a set of corresponding responsive policy options is provided for consideration to be included in the South Cowichan OCP. The Cobble Hill – Shawnigan Lake Community Profile: Shared past, Common future 2. Location and planning area Electoral Area B (Shawnigan Lake), and Electoral Area C (Cobble Similar to Shawnigan Lake, Cobble Hill is largely rural residential. Hill), are located in the south-eastern section of Vancouver The small, 23.3 square kilometre Electoral Area includes a large Island. Together, the two areas total 323 square kilometres, amount of Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) lands and there is a stretching from the eastern shores of Vancouver Island up into significant farming community, including a growing number of the middle of the Island and include large portions of the fertile wineries and specialty organic growers. The ALR acts as a land Cowichan Valley. As illustrated by the map on the next page, the use boundary of sorts, with residential development clustered in planning area is bounded by Electoral Area F and the Capital several smaller, non-ALR areas located primarily in the south Regional District to the west, Electoral Areas E and D to the east portion of the Electoral Area. north, Electoral Area A and the Capital Regional District to the south, and Electoral Area A and the Saanich Inlet to the east. Higher density, small-lot development can be found in Arbutus Ridge, a gated 55+ golf community located at Hatch Point on the At 300 square kilometres, Shawnigan Lake is the larger of the Saanich Inlet. Arbutus Ridge is home to over 1,000 residents. two Electoral Areas. It includes large tracts (over 27,000 hectares) of mature second growth forests that account for over Cobble Hill Village is Electoral Area C’s historic commercial centre 85% of the land area. The remaining area is predominantly rural and is located in the south-west corner of the Electoral Area. residential in nature and clustered primarily around beautiful Cobble Hill’s population density is 200.1 people per square Shawnigan Lake itself. Smaller, rural residential areas are located kilometre (Census 2006), making it the densest of CVRD’s in the Koksilah River area (Hillbank Road, Riverside Road and electoral Areas. The population of Cobble Hill was just over 4,500 Kingburne Drive) and Royce Road/Campbell Road. Shawnigan in 2006 (Census 2006). Village, the Electoral Area’s small commercial centre, is located near Shawnigan Lake. A relatively small number of farmlands are clustered primarily in the north-east corner and the Cowichan River Valley. The majority of this farmland is in the provincial Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). With its largee proportion of forest lands, Shawnigan Lake’s population density is only 24.7 people per square kilometre (Census 2006), which is amonng the least dense of CVRD Electoral Areas. The population of Shawnigan Lake was just over 7,500 in 2006 (Census 2006). Both Cobble Hill and Shawnigan Lake are rural communities with significant forest and farm land. Source: Film Cowichan 5 Cobble Hill – Shawnigan Lake Community Profile: Shared past, Common future Location Map 6 Cobble Hill – Shawnigan Lake Community Profile: Shared past, Common future 3. Issues and Options: summary and overview conservation as an important planning concern that is This section highlights and summarizes substantive planning directly linked to the preservation of rural qualities in issues that were identified by the planning consultant team both Electoral Areas. during the development of the planning area community profile. 2) The South Cowichan OCP should consider including The issues were highlighted as they may require additional policies to take advantage of existing Provincial Heritage attention in the planning process and/or were not identified in Branch (Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts) heritage either Electoral Area’s earlier OCPs. programs. Namely: a. A policy to articulate the heritage values of the The issues are organized in the same general subject areas as planning areas and to develop broad cultural are used in the Community Profile and are listed in the same heritage preservation and protection goals for order. For each issue area, a set of responsive policy options the planning area (80% funding up to $10,000 and actions is provided for consideration to be included in the available from Heritage Branch). new South Cowichan OCP. b. A policy to develop a community heritage register (an official listing of places that are It is expected that the planning issues and the corresponding recognized for their heritage value) that is policy options and actions will be evaluated, refined and consistent with national documentation standard prioritized by the CVRD planning team, the Community Advisory (100% funding up to $20,000 available from Committee and the two Local Advisory Committees. This list Heritage Branch). should not be considered complete as new issues may arise or be identified during the planning process. 3) The South Cowichan OCP should consider including a policy to formalize and establish closer working For additional information, please go to the corresponding relationships with the planning area First Nations to section number listed next to each issue area. ensure that any new cultural heritage policies respect and include important First Nations heritage sites that CULTURAL HERITAGE (4) may not be currently protected, and to recognize the There appears to be an obvious need to better address the long history of First Nations in the planning area. identification, preservation and protection of cultural and heritage resources in the new South Cowichan OCP. While ENIVRONMENT, RESOURCES AND SERVICES greatly valued by community members, the rural heritage and ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS (6.1) history of both Electoral Areas B and C is neither well-protected, Ecologically, the planning area is both one of the most diverse in nor highlighted in their existing OCPs. The following Canada and one of the most threatened by development recommendations are made to address this issue: pressure. Almost all forested ecosystems within the ecozone are 1) A specific Cultural Heritage section should be included in provincially red- or blue-listed, meaning they are endangered or the new South Cowichan OCP to elevate heritage threatened, and qualify for Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) 7 Cobble Hill – Shawnigan Lake Community Profile: Shared past, Common future classification using the federal Sensitive Ecosystem Inventory 1. Riparian areas, including streams, lakes and wetlands, (SEI).